Angel of the North

I know I've stopped and gawped at, and possibly even taken pics of, The Angel of the North before, but I can't for the life of me find any entries on this blog. Anyway, the Angel in question is a huuuuge sculpture on the A1 motorway south of Newcastle; it is 20 meters (66ft) tall and has a 54 meter (177ft) wingspan, which curves slightly to give the impression of an embrace. Of course, considering that the angel faces southward, that's the direction it's embracing, but let's not get mean here.

It was raised in the municipality of Gateshead in 1998, against much local protest, which has since been quieted on account of the protesters being shown to be eejits. It is seen by hundreds of thousands every day, as it's right by one of the country's most busy roads and is considered one of the most iconic sights in Great Britain.

Now, I am no great fan of art in general and sculptures tend to bore me to tears (unless they're historical) but there is just something about this giant heap o' iron that touches the shriveled, little lump of coal I have where my heart should be. And speaking of coal, I seem to remember it being built on top of or very near a coal mine but my memory is a bit vague on this (it is, after all, almost nine hours since I was there).

All pics here.

Full frontal nudity. Locally, it's known as "The Gateshead Flasher". Have I mentioned how much I love the British?


Chemtrails! Oh noes!




Some crrrrrazy angles.






Silhouetted against the sun.